Two come to mind, though they may have been dealt with in some obscure mini-series or somesuch that I never saw:

1. How/when/why did Ricochet Rita become Spiral in Longshot’s Mojoverse? I was very invested in the Art Adams series and even in the character when he joined the X-Men, but this only ever seemed alluded or reported, not narrated, you know?

D’ARC TANGENT was an indie b+w by Phil Foglio and Freff (aka Connor Cochran) that had one of the greatest first issues ever, setting the stage for a massive, sprawling space opera with a dozen vivid, compelling characters — and the project fell apart over creative differences before any work was done on issue #2. Somewhere, in some alternate universe, the hard bound gns of D’ARC TANGENT sit on a shelf next to AT LAST, DANGEROUS VISIONS…

I don’t think it counts as “great” but another famously unresolved comics story is DC Comics’ late 1980s series SONIC DISRUPTORS, which was supposed to be a 12-issue maxi-series but only saw 7 issues published.

[Long time reader, first time poster here! I’ve enjoyed reading your column for a while, and now you touch upon something that’s been pecking at the back of my mind for years.] Strange Attractors comes to mind, as does Private Beach and Amy Unbounded. Of course, there’s also the obvious: Moore and Gaiman’s Miracleman and The Tick.

The Helfer/Baker Shadow series. We were all set for a big showdown between mecha-Shiwan Khan and mecha-Shadow, and suddenly we were back in the 30’s and playing it straight and dull with a brand new series.

So many ones already mentioned! I would’ve said Galaxion but Tara Tallan actually brought it back… well, there was Teri S. Wood’s Darklight, for which she completed three issues and then (if I remember correctly) had a falling out with her publisher and stopped working on it.

A little something called Omega the Unknown by Steve Gerber, Mary Skrenes, and Jim Mooney?

Or maybe the Fourth World saga by an obscure creator named Jack Kirby? (Yes, a decade later Kirby did The Hunger Dogs but any careful reader knows that was not remotely the conclusion Kirby originally had in mind.)

I’d love to see more Battle Chasers if only to have a new edition of the older material, or a continuation of doomed manga Alchino, which Tokyopop supposedly commissioned a new volume of a few years ago, had the artist do covers for their Labryinth manga, and sort of forgot about. [for that matter, I think their Dark Crystal comic is also now in limbo since boom studios picked up the license]

I would claim that the Third World books are still unresolved. Yes, Kirby came back and did the Hunger Dogs, but it was NOT what he envisioned and was limited to what, 64 pages to resolve such a grand epic. Plus, the Forever People never were brought back in any of Kirby’s stories that I’m aware of.

I don’t know if one-shots fit, but Dolphin had that one great Showcase issue and then nothing. eventually other creators came in and filled in some blanks, but that was nowhere near what the original most likely would have been.

and the ultimate was the original Secret Six. again, there was an answer to the origin of Mockingbird that was proposed in Action Comics Weekly, but I’ve never, ever heard from any of the original creative team that it was what they intended.

For me personally it would be Leave It To Chance. It ended with issue 12 with the supposed death of Chance Falconer’s father. Years later issue 13 came out which I haven’t read but supposedly was the first part of a longer story that hinted that Chance’s father was alive. James Robinson has said that there is no possibility of him and Paul Smith continuing the comic, not even to resolve the plot of Chance’s father.

David Lapham’s Stray Bullets apparently has only one concluding issue left to finish the series and although he hopes to get back to it some day, financial reasons have prevented him from doing so as he has taken more mainstream work to support his family.

Chris G’s comment about ‘Supreme’ reminds me of Straczynski’s ‘Supreme Power’ reboot, which did some amazing world and character building as a Marvel MAX book, including a flashforward story indicating what the next however many years of the world would be like — and since then has been relaunched twice with completely different characters, not to mention crossing over with the Ultimate Universe.

I’d really like to know what would have happened with the original story JMS was telling, though that’s probably true of a lot of things he’s written.

Castle Waiting released issue 14 in February and 15 in May, so I’d hope for at least one more yet this year. I think Colonia is dead and gone, though. The old website for Colonia Press has been domain-squatted.

Since you mention translated manga, I’m surprised Ed hasn’t yet piped in with the second volume of Even a Monkey Can Draw Manga.

Ray, I don’t remember Appleseed having an unresolved ending. If you’re talking about the rumors of there being a volume 5, Shirow has denied any such plans.

Johanna, I thought this thread was for unfinished story lines. If we’re allowed to include manga with incomplete translations, then oh boy, can I make a list. Actually, top of the list is Urusei Yatsura by Rumiko Takahashi. Viz only translated 9 of the available 34 volumes. Of course, Even a Monkey Can Draw Manga volume 2. There is Taimashin that ADV only did the first volume. You get the idea.

TokyoPop did translate the follow-up to Angel and Angel Nest, Angel Town, but only in German instead of English too. TokyoPop did translate The Aromatic Bitters vol. 2, but only in German instead of English too. TokyoPop hasn’t translated Suppli after vol. 3, but amazon.co.jp lists it up to vol. 9. NBM hasn’t translated Wake after vol. 7, but amazon.fr lists it up to vol. 11 and says “Editeur : Delcourt (1 octobre 2009)” for vol. 12.

Keith – the Schism books were ok, but not great from wha was done. I should know, i was there.

there are too many to name, but i’d love to see the original ending to the Soulfather saga that iron man was building to in 1972, rather than how it actually ended…

and yes, the Third World series. the last great unresolved storyline from the Kind. Howzabout the resolution to the Thor/Galactus series that the Jack kirby collector brought up the last issue? That would have been cool.

From a few years ago, I’d say the 2007 Zoo Crew miniseries still needs a full resolution. While “Final Crisis” undid that series’ awful (non-)ending, it still leaves unresolved, erm, the fact that Starro’s presumably (last I checked) ruling over a flooded Earth-C… meh…